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Plowshares activist back in court; continues to declare nuclear weapons immoral and illegal

Susan Crane, one of the five plowshares activists who entered the U.S.Navy's Pacific Trident Naval Base at Kitsap Bangor (NBKB) in WashingtonState in November 2009 has been ordered to appear before Judge BenjaminSettle at the U.S. District Court, Tacoma, Washington on July 23, 2012.

Crane has already served 15 months in prison. The government is seekingrevocation of Crane’s current additional 1 year term of supervised release,alleging noncompliance with some of the terms of her supervised release.

Crane, a mother of two grown children, and a grandmother, maintains now, asshe did throughout her trial, that the five came to the Navy base topeaceably state the truth “Disarm Now: Trident Illegal and Immoral.”

Crane said, “The eight Trident submarines deployed from NBKB constantlythreaten to unleash nuclear holocaust. Each of the 800 nuclear weaponsthere is an instrument of mass murder. It’s unlawful and against the lawof Naval operations to prepare, threaten or use such weapons because theyindiscriminately kill civilians, cause radiation burns, poison theenvironment and create sickness and genetic damage for generations tocome.”

“We were only pointing out our common responsibility to advocatenon-violently for good-faith nuclear disarmament,” continues Crane. "Wehave not fled from that responsibility or the grim reality of theseweapons."

All five were indicted, charged, tried and found guilty in Federal districtcourt in Tacoma Washington. The court and the prosecutor refused to admitdefense evidence showing that the preparations and ongoing threats to usenuclear weapons at and from NBKB pose enormous and present dangers not onlyto the Seattle area but to life itself.

Crane added, "We were found guilty for peaceably pointing out fundamentallyunlawful and immoral plans, preparations and threats to use weapons of massmurder."

Bill Quigley, a law professor and Director of the Law Clinic and the GillisLong Poverty Law Center at Loyola University New Orleans, and AssociateLegal Director at the Center for Constitutional Rights said of Crane’scurrent situation, "We look forward to the day when the courts willchallenge the criminality of nuclear weapons rather than the probationstatus of those who challenge them."

At issue in any consideration of revocation of supervised release would bewhether the individual presents a risk to the community. Crane believesshe has clearly demonstrated that she does not present any risk to thecommunity, whereas the threat of use of the nuclear weapons deployed by theU.S. government are a clear and present danger on a global scale.

Supporters of Crane and Disarm Now Plowshares will hold a vigil outside theTacoma Union Station Courthouse on July 23rd from 12 noon to 1 pm, prior toCrane’s 1:30 pm hearing. Franciscan priest, and advocate for justice andpeace, Fr. Louie Vitale will speak at the noon vigil. Fr. Vitaleco-founded the Nevada Desert Experience and its enduring movement to endnuclear testing.

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